Opinion

Dry weather hurting Morgan County dryland crops

Pastures suffering in heat

Morgan County's irrigated crops are doing well right now, but dryland crops like wheat are beginning to suffer.

While the crops need the heat units that they have had recently, winds and very hot temperatures have tended to dry up soil, and it does not have a lot of subsoil moisture to give to plants, said Morgan County Extension Agent Marlin Eisenach.

The county has not seen precipitation for a while -- even though it did have some good rain and snow in May that helped get crops started, he said.

"This is a critical time," Eisenach said. It is when wheat kernels develop, and some dryland fields are feeling the effects of little moisture.

Naturally, that means growers are hoping for more rain, although the outlook is for continued hot and dry days, he said.

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Colorado Crop Progress survey, only 11 percent of the state's winter wheat crop is in good condition, contrasted with 30 percent at this time last year.

Winter wheat developed at an accelerated rate last week, and 64 percent had formed heads of grain, the report says. However, 89 percent of wheat was rated in very poor to fair condition, with more than half in very poor to poor condition.

Irrigated corn and wheat crops are doing well. Not only did they get precipitation to germinate and sprout, local reservoirs have water to offer, Eisenach said.

Farmers are lucky that the reservoirs started out full, and they did not have to use that water to get crops started, he said.

Advertisement

They want that moisture for July and August, when there is little rain.

Irrigated corn is looking "excellent," Eisenach said.

The first cutting of alfalfa was about 75 percent done by mid-week.

But pastures used for cattle grazing are "getting bad," Eisenach said. They had a start with spring moisture, but are now drying out, and they also do not have any subsoil moisture to fall back on.

As bad as the situation may be for Morgan County, it is much worse to the south, where dust storms are blowing away soil because it is so dry, he said.

People in southeast Colorado are comparing it to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and that area was part of the Dust Bowl almost 80 years ago.

NASS says only 32 percent of fields in the state had adequate top soil moisture by the end of last week. About 68 percent were short or very short of moisture.

Only 20 percent of fields had adequate subsoil moisture, with 40 percent short and 40 percent very short of moisture.

About 58 percent of pastures and ranges were in very poor to poor condition last week, up from 54 percent the previous week, but that was before the high heat of this week. The five-year average is 33 percent of pastures and range in very poor to poor condition at this time of year. Only 16 percent of pastures and range are in good condition.

About 90 percent of the state's sugar beets were planted by the end of last week.

Eighty percent of the state's corn crop had emerged, up 15 percentage points from the week before.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story